Gov. Jared Polis is expected to release finalized guidelines for restaurants on Saturday and will formally announce Monday when restaurants will be allowed to reopen.

However, in a call with restaurant owners on Thursday, the governor told restaurants to plan on reopening either next Wednesday or Thursday with new COVID-19 rules in effect.

Those guidelines include 8-foot spacing between tables and other safety measures.

Grande Station in Littleton is one of the many restaurants statewide making changes to accommodate the new guidelines, preparing to open at 34 percent capacity, going from 106 tables to just 36.

Owner Kurt Fischer says he hopes the governor will be lenient with COVID-19 guidelines. For example, he would like to install plastic barriers between several of his tables with menus placed inside.

“This eliminates any air transfer from table to table. I’m not a doctor, but in my eyes we can move tables 2 to 3 feet apart and still get the same results, maybe even better results of an 8 foot distance,” he explained, while showing off his creation.

Polis is encouraging restaurants to expand beyond their four walls. In Littleton, that means shutting down Main Street and filling it with tables on the weekends.

Only time will tell whether diners will return once restaurants reopen. However, Fischer is hopeful any semblance of normal will only mean good news for restaurants like his.